Retriever for golf balls



y 1958 P. J. MCEVOY 2,833,584

RETRIEVER FOR GOLF BALLS Patrick J. Ms 5 v0 y IN V EN TOR.

BY WMFM Fig.7

United States P t cs This inventio'h "relates 'to improvements in .ret'rievers for golf balls and particularly fofre't'rievers of the. type which are adapted to be removably secured to the upper end of the golf 'clubsliaft, primarily "useful while practicing. I t

An i s of t P esen ,ent onzi to Pr ide, an improved golf ball retriever which very easily attaches and detaches from the golf club shaft, the retriever featuring an improved, structural assembly where the spring fingers that accommodate and hold the golf ball are nested in an attachment with a light weight base.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a practical device that is of light weight construction for attachment to the end of the golf club shaft in order to pick up golf balls, particularly while practicing, the golf ball retriever having a base adapted to fit flush against the end of the shaft together with improved means for fastening the golf club shaft and bracing frames and the spring fingers which are arranged to form a golf ball accommodating and holding pocket that opens outwardly so that the golf ball is easily picked up.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the retriever made in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view in an enlarged scale of the retriever of Figure 1, the end of a golf club shaft being disposed in the golf club accommodating pocket of the retriever;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, parts broken away to show otherwise hidden details;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the base of the retriever;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the frames that forms a part of the means for holding the retriever on the golf club shaft; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modification wherein both frames are made in one piece.

The hand grip portion of a golf club shaft 10 is shown in Figure 2 in the proper relationship to base 12 when the retriever 14 is fitted on the golf club for use in retrieving golf balls. Base 12 is made of light weight block having a pocket 16 on one surface in order to accommodate the terminal part of the golf club shaft 10. The opposite surface of the base 12 is formed with a number of recesses and passages (see Figure 5) in order to accept the angulated ends of frames 18 and 20 and also the angulated ends of spring fingers 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

Frames 18 and 20 constitute the yielding means for attaching the retriever 14 to the golf club shaft. Frame 18 (see Figure 6) has a finger operating loop 28 between Patented May 6, 1 958 its ends, this loop having laterally extending legs 29 and 30 from which approximately right angular sides 31 and 32 extend. Side-31 has an angulated end 33 at the extremity of which there is a pin 34. Side 32 has an angulated end 35 together with pin 36 at itsextremity. Frame 20 is constructed much the same as frame 18. The distinction is that frame 20 has, coils 40 and 42 in its angulated ends 44 and 46, these coils constituting springs to provide the necessary elasticity in frame 20 for gripping firmlyon the surface of the hand grip portion ofshaft 10.

The spring fingers 22,24 and 26 have curved sections 48, and 52 intermediate their ends. Rolled edges 54 are formed at the extremities of the spring fingers in order to constitute guides for the golf balls as the fingers are inserted thereover. The curved sections form a pocket in which to accommodate and frictionally hold the .golfballs after passing through the entrance of the pocket. Angulated ends 58, 59 and 60 are formed on ,the springfingers 22, '24 and 26. Ends 33 and 35 of frame 18 (see Figure 6) are located in the downwardly opening recesses 62 and 64 (see Figure 5) in the bottom surface of base 12. The pins 34 and 36 are disposed in the apertures 66 and 68 intermediate the ends of the recesses 62 and 64. Angulated ends 44 and 46 of frame 20 are also disposed in recesses 62 and 64, but in the unoccupied portions thereof. extremities of angulated portions 44 and 46 are disposed in the apertures 66 and 68. Ends 58, 59 and 60 of the spring fingers 22, 24 and 26 are superposed on the angulated ends of frames 18 and 20. In addition, there are three radially arranged downwardly opening recesses 74, 76 and 78 in the base 12, these recesses accommodating respectively the angulated ends 58, 59 and 60 of the spring fingers. Each of the angulated ends 74, 76 and 78 is provided with an aperture, these apertures being alined in order to form a passageway 80 through which bolt 82 is passed.

Bolt 82 passes through passageway 80 and an aligned passage 84 that is formed in the center of thebase 12. When washer plate 87 is placed on bolt 82, the nut 86 is screwed onto the bolt 82 and all of the fingers and both of the frames are assembled with each other on the base 12 with their respective angulated ends being held in the recesses and apertures formed in the bottom of the base 12 for the specific accommodation of these parts. Therefore, the single bolt 82 with its nut 86 and plate 87 are all that are necessary to hold the yielding frames for embracing a golf club shaft and the spring fingers assembled on base 12.

As seen in Figure 7, frames 18 and 20 may be made in one piece to thereby produce a single frame 19 having all of the parts of the pair of frames except the pins at the ends thereof. Frame 19 is held in place by the bolt 82 and nut 86 in a manner similar to the attachment of frames 18 and 20.

In use, retriever 14 is attached to the golf club shaft by inserting the handle grip portion of the shaft between the frames 18 and 20. The inherent elasticity of frame 20 holds this frame tightly against the handle grip while the pocket 16 accommodates the extreme end of the shaft. Then the retriever is ready to be used with the golf club acting as the elongated handle thereof' Although the attachment may be used on the fairways and greens of a golf course, its primary use is in practicing I either indoors or on practice areas.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and The pins 70 at the equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the, scope of .1

the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as newis as follows: 1. On a golficlub shaft, 1a golfball retriever comprising a base against which the, end of the shaftwis' adapted to seat, yielding meanstcarried; by said base for releasably securing said base to the shaft, said 'yielding1;,means comprising a pair, of spaced frames, attleastyone of said .1

frames, having a, spring operatively connected, with it and opposing movement thereof in one' direction; spring fingers arranged to, accept and1hold a golf ball, therebetween, and means fastening saidframes and said fingers to said base. 3 r m H 1 2. On a golfclub shaft, a golf ball retriever comprising a base against which theend of the shaft is adapted to seat, yielding means carried byrsaid baseifor releasably securing said base to the1shaft, said yielding means comprising a pair of spaced frames adapted to embrace 1 for sccuring said fingers and saidframes to said base.

3. ,On a golf club shaft, a golf ball retriever comprising a base against which the end of the shaft is adapted to seat, yielding means carried by said base for releasably securing said base to the shaft, said yielding means comprising a pair of spaced frames, at least one of said frames having a spring operatively connected with it and opposing movement thereof in one direction, said frames being generally U-shaped havingle'g portions and a bight portion, said bightflportion being offset from said leg portions and of a generally 0 arcuate shape whereby the frames can securely grasp said shaft, spring fingers arranged to acceptvand hold a golf balltherebetween, and means fastening said frames and said fingers to said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,592 Main May 10, 1896 1,658,145 Uyei Feb. 7, 1928 1,830,520 Moyses Nov. 3, 1931 2,448,644 'Williaiiis m. Sept. 7,.1948

FOREIGN PATENTS 21,000 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1900 

